by Ben Mezrich
First published 2005
Semyon Dukach walks into casinos with stacks of cash and a mathematical system no one has seen before. At twenty-one, he's already a legend in Las Vegas, known as the Darling of Sin City. His secret weapon isn't card counting or anything illegal. It's something more powerful that casinos can't stop. Dukach leads a team of MIT students who transform from classroom geeks into high-rolling casino conquerors. They hit blackjack tables in Las Vegas, Atlantic City, Aruba, Barcelona, London, and Monte Carlo, making millions with big bets and fake identities. Victor Cassius galvanizes the team with his brilliance. Owen Keller brings stunning ability but carries a dangerous past. Allie Simpson adds brains and beauty to their operations. The casinos fight back hard. The team faces harassment, bans, gunpoint threats, and beatings in Vegas back rooms. The story reveals how mathematical genius, monumental greed, and calculated risks collide in a world where the stakes keep rising and consequences don't matter.
Genres: fiction, adventure, crime, thriller
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, heist
Setting: Aruba, Atlantic City, Barcelona, Las Vegas, London, Monte Carlo
Period: 21st Century
304 pages · Kindle Edition · HarperCollins
Content warnings: violence